Happy Birthday Maya Angelou

Written for the middle school reader, this biography of the award-winning poet and Civil Rights activist describes her early life raised by her grandmother in Arkansas. Rising from poverty, she achieved success as a dancer, an actress, a teacher, and an award-winning author. This compelling profile will make readers understand and appreciate why Maya Angelou is one of the best-loved and most fascinating American writers.

Available in library, paperback, and eBook formats, this title is available from your preferred vendor, local bookstore, enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble. Titles in the African-American Icons series are also correlated to the Common Core College and Career Readiness Standards.

New series for National Poetry month

Pure Poetry, geared toward the upper middle and high school student, is a series of four titles, with each book focusing on one particular poetry theme. Each chapter looks at one poem accompanied by detailed analysis discussing the style and technique, poetic devices, and the cultural significance. Every chapter ends with questions and prompts for student discussion and assessment.

These titles are correlated to the Common Core College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards, and are available in library, paperback, and eBook formats. They are available from your preferred vendor, enslow.com, local independent bookstores, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Happy Birthday Danica Patrick!

Written for the middle school reader, this biography about Danica is part of Enslow's Heroes of Racing series.

This series is correlated to the Common Core College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards. These books are available from your preferred vendor, local bookstore, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Two new math series for Spring 2014

Enslow has just published two new math series, one geared toward the elementary reader and the other toward the middle school reader.

Ready for Math, a series for the upper elementary reader, contains six titles, each of which focuses on a different math topic. The clear and inviting design includes many practice problems to aid the student when reviewing math skills.

Easy Genius Math, written for the middle school student, also focuses on one title per math topic, with six books in the series. They are an excellent review or refresher of math skills, and can be used by parents or tutors trying to help the struggling math student.

Both series are available in library, paperback, and eBook formats. They can be ordered from your preferred vendor, local bookstore, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Looking forward to Spring

For the lower elementary student looking for books on insects, one of Enslow's latest series, Zoom In on Insects!, is appropriate for that student. These six books are  24 pages, correlated to the Common Core Standards, and contain color photographs.

Written by award-winning author Melissa Stewart, each book focuses on a different insect, describing the different parts of their bodies, their life cycle, and where they live. Each title also includes a words to know section, a list of further resources, and an index.

Available in library, paperback, and eBook formats, bees, butterflies, dragonflies, fireflies, grasshoppers, and ladybugs are covered in the Zoom In on Insects! series. These titles are available from your preferred vendor, local bookstores, enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Who invented windshield wipers?

With all of the rain and snow affecting the United States, does anyone think about something as simple as

who invented the windshield wipers that allow drivers to see in those bad conditions?

Before the invention of the windshield, drivers had to wear goggles to keep rain, snow, and bugs out of their eyes while driving. The first windshield, invented in 1904, could be folded down in case it became so dirty that drivers could not see through it. The other option was to pull over and try to clean the glass with your hand. Some drivers even tried rubbing an onion or carrot on the windshield, thinking that the oil from these vegetables would leave a film on the windshield, and repel the rain. That did not work either.

This 48 page book, written for the upper elementary reader, describes how Mary Anderson came up with her idea, what steps she took to try to patent the idea, and what happened after she allowed the patent to expire. Available in library, paperback, and eBook formats, this title is part of the Inventors at Work! series. This series is correlated to the Common Core College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards. Other inventors in this series include Ruth Wakefield, Willis Haviland Carrier, Percy Spencer, and Jacques Cousteau. These titles are available from your preferred vendor, local bookstore, enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

National Poetry Month

Pure Poetry, geared toward the upper middle and high school student, is a series of four titles, with each book focusing on one particular poetry theme. Each chapter looks at one poem accompanied by detailed analysis discussing the style and technique, poetic devices, and the cultural significance. Every chapter ends with questions and prompts for student discussion and assessment.

These titles are correlated to the Common Core College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards, and are available in library, paperback, and eBook formats. They are available from your preferred vendor, enslow.com, local independent bookstores, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

It's National Tooth Fairy Day

Here are some fun facts about teeth. Did you know that when a baby's first teeth come in, they are called milk teeth (also known as "baby teeth") and there are 20 of them? When a child is about five or six, those teeth start falling out (hence the need for the Tooth Fairy) and are replaced by 32 permanent teeth. Cats and dogs also have two sets of teeth, but some reptiles and fish may have many sets of teeth during their lives. Crocodiles and sharks, for example, keep replacing their teeth their entire life.

Handy Health Guide to Your Teeth, one of twelve different titles in Enslow's Handy Health Guides series, is written for the middle school student, describing what role teeth play in our overall health, and how to take care of the teeth you have.

Other titles in the series cover topics such as ADHD, asthma, colds and flu, dyslexia, burns and blisters, and more. All of these titles are available in library and paperback editions, as well as eBooks. They are correlated to the Common Core and are available through your preferred vendor, local bookstore, enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Looking for eBooks? Enslow has over 700 available!

Enslow has added over 700 eBooks to its collection, with more to come soon. Most of our spring 2014 list has been made into eBooks, all of which are available now.

Go to enslow.com and see what is available. Our titles can be purchased through our website as PDFs, and are also available as EPUBs through Amazon, Apple, and Barnes and Noble, among other vendors.

Congratulations to Dale Earnhardt, Jr., on his Daytona 500 win!

After an extended rain delay, the Daytona 500 was run yesterday. Enslow's latest Dale Earnhardt, Jr., biography for the older elementary reader, published in 2011, also describes his foundation, the Dale Jr. Foundation, which helps kids in need reach their goals.

For the slightly older student, Smokin' Race Cars explores the world of stock car racing, giving fans insight into the races.

Both of these titles are available in either hardcover or library binding, as well as in eBook versions. The Dale Earnhardt, Jr., title is available in paperback, and the Smokin' Race Cars title will be available in paperback in the next several weeks. Either title is available from your preferred vendor, your local bookstore, enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Paint Me a Monster, title from new Enslow imprint, reviewed in 2 publications

Paint Me a Monster, one of several new titles in Scarlet Voyage, Enslow's newest imprint, was reviewed by both Kirkus Reviews and School Library Journal.

Here is an excerpt from the November 1, 2013 issue of Kirkus Reviews:

"Readers will fall in love with Rinnie; Baskin has crafted a beautiful story about the complexities of family, self-respect and human connection."

Here is an excerpt from the February 2014 issue of School Library Journal:

"Baskin takes readers through a tug of war of emotion, punctuated by short, lyrical chapters that include poems, letters, and lists. Teens will follow the protagonist's tumultuous journey from innocent little girl to heartbroken teen and eventually a brave young adult. By helping others, Rinnie discovers a kindness only she knows how to give."

Available in both a hardcover edition and as an eBook, this title will also be available as a paperback in several months. This title can be purchased through your preferred vendor, enslow.com, your local bookstore, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

New series on insects for the elementary reader

Zoom In on Insects! is a six-title series written for the elementary reader. Want to know what a butterfly eats? Want to see what these insects look like close-up? Written by award-winning author Melissa Stewart, these books look at insects encountered in everyday life.

Other insects covered are bees, dragonflies, fireflies, grasshoppers, and ladybugs. These books will be correlated to the Common Core. That information will be posted on our website as soon as it is available.

These titles are available in library, paperback, and eBook formats. They are available through your preferred vendor, enslow.com, your local bookstore, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

New Civil Rights series now available in time for Black History month

Enslow has just published a new series on the Civil Rights movement called The Story of the Civil Rights Movement in Photographs. This six book series is written for the middle school reader using primary source photographs, with text boxes and captions supplementing the images.

Author David Aretha examines this critical time in American history. Each title covers a different topic: freedom rides, the Montgomery bus boycott, voting rights, the civil rights movement in Birmingham, the Little Rock Nine and school desegregation, and the march on Washington, D.C. for jobs and freedom.

All of these titles are available in library, paperback, and eBook formats. They are available from your preferred vendor, local independent bookstores, enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Congratulations to Patricia and the late Fredrick McKissack!

Patricia McKissack, and her late husband Fredrick, were awarded the Coretta Scott King Virginia Hamilton

Award for Lifetime Achievement. Presented to an African American author, illustrator, or author/illustrator, this award represents the winner's body of published works for children and/or young adults. The recipients of this award have also made a significant and lasting literary contribution.This award is named in memory of beloved children's author Virginia Hamilton, and is presented to the winner during the Coretta Scott King Awards Breakfast at the ALA Annual Conference.

Patricia and Fredrick McKissack have written many books for Enslow Publishers, Inc., with their last series of titles, Famous African Americans, published in the spring of 2013. This series of twelve books feature short biographies on Booker T. Washington, Carter G. Woodson, Frederick Douglass, George Washington Carver, Ida B. Wells Barnett, Jesse Owens, Louis Armstrong, Madam C.J. Walker, Marian Anderson, Martin Luther King, Jr., Mary McLeod Bethune, and Paul Robeson.

These titles are available from your preferred vendor, local independent bookstores, enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

African--American Icons titles

Two subjects from our African-American Icons series performed the opening number on the Grammy awards last night.

Beyoncé and Jay-Z are two of the titles in this series. Written for the middle school reader, these 100+ page titles are great for those who want to learn more about these current actors, singers/musicians, authors, and comedians. Other spring 2014 titles in this series include biographies about Chris Rock, Jennifer Hudson, Sean "Diddy" Combs, and Tyler Perry. There are also six titles published in spring 2013.

All of these titles are available from your preferred vendor, local bookstore, enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble. These titles have been correlated to the Common Core, and are available in library, paperback, and eBook formats.

New 2014 series on Insects!

Zoom In on Insects is written for the beginning reader. Each of the 6 titles covers a different insect. Color photographs show the insects in their habitat, as well as up close images of the insect's features. Written by Melissa Stewart, these books are sure to please the young insect lover!

Available in library, paperback, and e-book formats, these books can be found at your preferred vendor, local bookstores, enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Students' New Year's Resolutions and saving money

For the middle grade student, the Be Smart About Money and Financial Literacy series helps students develop the skill and strategies needed for financial planning, savings, and investment. This six-book series also contains math and financial literacy questions at the end of each chapter, helping students to see how financial planning will make their lives easier in the long run.

Topics covered include credit, investing, money, shopping, careers, and the student's future. This series will be correlated to the Common Core, and are available in library, paperback, and eBook formats.

These titles are available from your preferred vendor, your local independent bookstore, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and enslow.com.

Curious about who invented windshield wipers?

Mary Anderson, the inventor of windshield wipers, is portrayed in this new spring 204 title for elementary students. Written by Sara Latta, this title is one in a new series called Inventors at Work!.

Other titles in this series focus on chocolate chip cookies, an air conditioner inventor, the microwave, and Scuba gear.

All of these titles will be correlated to the Common Core and are available from your preferred vendor, independent bookstore, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and enslow.com. They are available in library, paperback, and eBook formats.

Happy Birthday Taylor Swift

978-0-7660-3870-7 Library
978-1-59845-286-0 Paperback

Enslow's biography, written for the middle school student, offers personal stories, quotes, as well as a timeline of Taylor Swift's life and success. Written by award-winning author Jeff Burlingame, this title gives insight into Taylor's life for her fans.

The Hot Celebrity Biographies series is also correlated to the Common Core. These titles are available in library, paperback, and eBook formats, and is available from your preferred vendor, local independent bookstore, enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Looking for inventor biographies for different grade levels?

Genius Inventors and Their Great Ideas is written for the upper elementary reader, while Genius at Work! Great Inventor Biographies is geared toward the middle school reader.

The seven titles in Genius Inventors and Their Great Ideas cover Philo T. Farnsworth (TV,) George Ferris (Ferris wheel,) Stephanie Kwolek (Kevlar,) Theodore H. Maiman (laser,) James Naismith (basketball,) Les Paul (electric guitar,) and Vivien Thomas (cardiac surgery.) All of these titles are correlated to the Common Core, and are available in library, paperback, and eBook formats.

The Genius at Work! Great Inventor Biographies series contains six titles, each of which is also correlated to the Common Core. George Ferris, Theodore H. Maiman, and Les Paul are also in this series, with the addition of Thomas Gallaudet (sign language,) Igor Sikorsky (helicopter,) and Madam C.J. Walker (hair care products.) These titles are available as library-bound books.

All of the above titles can be found at your local independent bookstore, your preferred vendor, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and enslow.com.